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2017 Program Details

Who we’re looking for:

We’re looking for hikers who are in-tune with what we’re trying to do, will benefit from mentorship, and will be able to provide value to the partners and the PCTA.

Individuals and couples interested in applying should be planning to thru-hike the PCT in 2017 and NOT already have long-distance hiking experience. Our goal is to provide a support network and knowledge to help get novice long-distance hikers out on the trail responsibly. The program is open to hikers around the world who are over the age of 18.

We will invite five people to participate in the full program. Another five will be invited to participate, however we are not able to offer them Gear Assistance.

What do hikers get?

Hikers receive mentorship during the planning process and some gear. They do not receive any monetary support through the program and are responsible for financing their trip. While gear donations will help to offset the cost of the hike, on trail costs and remaining gear needs will still be substantial.

Gear Assistance

We’re working to arrange partnerships with other brands to provide as many of the items that you’ll need as we can (gear/food/clothing), but cannot make any promises. Below is what what was provided / offered in 2015.

The majority of communication between mentors and hikers will be through a private Facebook group. Any further communication between individual hikers and mentors via phone, email, etc is at the discretion of the mentor. Understand that mentors will not be planning your hike for you or hiking with you.

What’s required of hikers?

The last thing we want is for this program to become a burden for a participant. Please understand what your responsibilities are before applying!

Fundraise

Hikers will fundraise to benefit the Pacific Crest Trail Association. We’ve set a group goal of $12,500. Hikers receiving gear assistance have a goal to raise $2,000 each. The other five hikers have a goal to raise $500 each. We’ll have a fundraising team set up on Razoo.com and will add each hiker to the team. All the money goes to the PCTA (minus a small fee to Razoo). Donations are tax deductible and none of the money ever pass through the hands of YAMA Mountain Gear or mYAMAdventure.

Share your story

Each hiker is asked to maintain a blog (with photos) leading up to and during their hike. We’ll share some of your updates and photos to our social media accounts (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter) and may provide you access to post directly to these accounts. Having an Instagram account that you post to during the hike is beneficial, but not required.

Our partners and the PCTA are encouraged to share the content that hikers produce. You must be comfortable having your photos and content shared to the public by mYAMAdventure, its partners, and the PCTA.

Use donated gear

When a hiker accepts gear from a partner, they are expected to use it. We know, however, that sometimes gear doesn’t work out as expected. In such a case, hikers don’t need to continue using the item, and should contact us and/or the partner to sort out the best solution. We may pass it on to another hiker, return it to the sponsor, or leave its future up to the hiker.

Hike Your Own Hike!

In the end, this is YOUR hike. Not ours, not the Partners’, not anyone else’s. We expect you to make an honest effort to plan and complete a true thru-hike, but not at the expense of your well-being. You are responsible for your decisions, actions, and safety.

This is NOT a guided hike and the mentors will not be on the trail with you. Most of their involvement will happen before you leave for your hike. For example, we do not dictate which direction you should hike or set dates for your trip. All this is up to you, but the mentors can provide valuable input that can help you to make informed decisions!

APPLY!

Note: If we extend an invitation to you, and you accept, we expect a commitment from you to actually go hike! In the unfortunate event that you need to cancel your hike before you’ve started, you’ll be expected to return all donated gear to us at your expense. Any funds raised in your fundraiser will still go to the PCTA.